Graduates recognized for outstanding work at Southeast

After a diagnosis of Bell’s palsy her senior year of high school, Victoria Blue faced paralysis in the right side of her face that affected her musical performance. Entering Southeast Missouri State University as a non-music major and member of the marching band, Blue said she “felt an itch” to join the music program. She switched majors her second semester of her freshman year, and slowly noticed improvements in her facial strength.

Blue of Chaffee, Missouri, was accepted to the McNair Scholars Program as a first generation college student, which allowed her to complete an extensive summer research project on a musical piece called “Musings” by Dana Wilson, alongside Southeast faculty member Jacqueline Wilson.

Southeast class of 2020 graduates such as Blue have been recognized by the university for their outstanding work in their fields as well as their post-college plans.

Southeast Missouri State University secondary-education graduate Olivia Simpson signs a teaching contract with Malden (Missouri) High School.Submitted

Secondary-education graduate Olivia Simpson also said other Southeast academic programs were especially helpful in her experience. She entered her freshman year as a member of the secondary-education learning community, a residence hall program grouping students of similar majors together.

She said the program helped surround her with like-minded students as well as connected her with resources on campus. Simpson of Park Hills, Missouri, said she also attended several conferences that allowed her to network with professionals from all over the United States, and was given the opportunity to spend two weeks in a study-abroad program in Germany.

Kathleen Ellison

For Kathleen Ellison, she said completing her degree fully online gave her the flexibility to balance being a mother of three while also a full-time employee at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. She returned to Southeast after nearly a decade and will be graduating this summer with a Bachelor of Science in health care management.

As she works towards her degree, she said she notices aspects of her work at the medical center tying into her class assignments. Ellison of Sikeston, Missouri, said she enjoyed seeing her classes focus on quality control and the best provider-patient experience — something she’d like to pursue after graduation.

Southeast postponed its planned May 16 graduation as regulations on social distancing discourages gatherings of large groups because of the COVID-19 pandemic. As outlined in an announcement on Southeast’s website, graduates are invited to attend the Dec. 19 or May 15, 2021, graduates to be recognized.

The university also launched a digital recognition of graduates through a redesign of its website’s homepage, celebrating students through a list of graduates, photo galleries and short bios on outstanding students.

Simpson will be teaching history to Malden (Missouri) High School students in the fall. The Park Hills High School graduate said she’s excited for the environment of a smaller school and the opportunity to encourage students.

In fall 2020, Blue will pursue a master’s degree in horn performance at the University of Nevada in Reno. She plans to earn a doctorate degree and then teach at a collegiate level or participate in military band.

“But looking back at it, the fact that five years later, the fact that I went from not being able to play at all to being offered an assistantship at a wonderful university in Reno, Nevada, it’s a really great feeling,” she said.

Ellison hopes to stay at Missouri Delta Medical Center to build provider-patient experience and work on the health informatics side of the medical center.

Southeast featured these graduates, as well stories of several other students, on its graduation homepage.

Sports management graduate and St. Louis Cardinals fan Blake Schaffer completed an internship with Kansas City Sports Commission, looking forward to a career in managing a sports facility.

Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL) graduate Tracy Retherford taught Spanish at several local schools before pursuing her graduate degree at Southeast, and will continue teaching at Clippard Elementary School.

Mondi Group employee Cory Brethold will graduate with a degree in technology management this semester, entering work full time in computer networking.